OFFICIAL: TPLB sets July 8 as date to hand Simba SC league trophy

The Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) have officially settled for July 8 as the date to award Simba SC the Mainland Premier League trophy.

The Wekundu wa Mzimbazi were crowned champions with six matches to spare after their tally of 79 points proved too much for Azam FC and Yanga SC to catch, and they finally got their hands on their third title in a row and the right to represent the country in the Caf Champions League next season.

The TPLB had earlier ruled out feting Simba in Mbeya, where they managed a 2-0 win against Mbeya City before securing a 0-0 draw against Tanzania Prisons, to be crowned.

Goal can now reveal the league managers have settled for July 8 as the date to hand the trophy to Simba, which they will keep for good, after their match against Namungo FC at Majaliwa Stadium in Lindi.

“We asked Simba to tell us when we can give them the trophy and they have settled for July 8 and that is when we will be able to hand them the trophy,” TPLB said in a signed statement obtained Goal.

“The trophy presentation will be done at Majaliwa Stadium in Lindi after their match against Namungo.”

Simba still have other league matches against Ndanda FC, Mbao FC, Alliance FC, and Coastal Union to play before the season concludes.

Apart from keeping the trophy for good, Simba’s three successful consecutive campaigns, in the 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, also saw them reach Yanga’s record achieved in the 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons.

It was the second time Simba have been champions in three straight campaigns as the same feat was achieved from 1993 to 1995, and they also won the inaugural Premier League title, then known as Sunderland, in the 1965-66 season.

The win was also even bigger for Simba's new players - Francis Kahata, who had conquered the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) with Gor Mahia, Sharaf Shaiboub (Sudan), Luis Miquissone (Mozambique), Brazilians Tairone Santos da Silva and Gerson Fraga Vieira as well as coach Sven Vandenbroeck - as it was their first season with the club.

Vandenbroeck’s immediate task now is to start planning for Champions League action where he will be required to perform better than his predecessor Patrick Aussems, who was knocked out from the preliminary stage by UD Songo of Mozambique last season.